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1872 - The Founding of St. Paul's
The history of St. Paul’s covers more than 130
years. The first administrations of a priest were recorded in
1869 by Rev. Sidney Beckwith of Big Rapids, Michigan. Greenville
was then a town of 1800 inhabitants. Two years later, on January
20, 1872, St. Paul’s was organized and then admitted as a
parish to the Diocese of Michigan on June 6, 1872.
Twenty seven communicants were reported with a Sunday School of
seven teachers and twenty four pupils. It was about this time
that St. Paul’s congregation secured its first church on the
corner of Cass and Franklin Streets.
The first two years were very prosperous for the small group
as their size grew to forty
seven communicants and sixty five Sunday School pupils.
St. Paul's as a
Congregational Church
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In 1874, the Diocese of Michigan was divided and St. Paul's
became a part of the new Diocese of Western Michigan.
The details are incomplete, but it seems that in 1877, St. Paul’s
vestry was having difficulty meeting its financial obligations
and without consulting the bishop, sold the church property. The
bishop took prompt action, resulting in putting the church out
of existence as a parish.
It was re-founded in 1879 and
officially organized in 1881 as a mission church. During that
time, the present building was purchased from the First
Congregational Church for $1,600 (including the pipe organ) and
moved across Cass Street to its present location.
St. Paul's circa 1900
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Next - 1895 through 1935
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